LeBron James made history Tuesday night, leapfrogging the late, great Moses Malone into eighth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
James finihsed with 34 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and stuck a dagger three in the Milwaukee Bucks’ heart to seal the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers’ 114-108 overtime win.
These two teams will do battle again tonight, back in Ohio.
Per the Akron Beacon Journal:
James’ 3-point shot is back. In the final nine minutes of regulation and overtime, he went 3 for 3 from ridiculously long range. The play-by-play sheet listed the makes as 31, 28 and 33 feet. James shot 5 of 9 from beyond the arc and is hitting 36.8 percent (42 of 114) for the season. Since he returned to the Cavs, his percentages were .354 in 2014-15 and .309 last season.
“Well, I saw my man. He went under (the screen) on the handoff,” James said of the last one, which put the Cavs up 110-108. “Something I practiced before the game, something I do on practice days. I was shooting the ball extremely well tonight from the perimeter, so just trust it. I’m trusting what I’ve been doing and the work I’m putting into it and knocked it down.”
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue urged James on all night. “They were going under (the screens) all night and we told him, ‘If they go under, you got to step into it and take that shot.’ The last one is pretty far out. I didn’t know he was going to take that one, but it was a big shot that we needed and that’s why he’s the best player in the world. When teams are going under like that, he has to take those shots. I know he doesn’t like coming down, no pass, shot. But if teams are going to go under like that, step up, shoot it, make it.”
